The 15 Best Colleges In Massachusetts, According To New 2027 Ranking

MIT is the best college in Massachusetts, according to Niche’s newly released 2027 college rankings.

The Pittsburgh-based college search and review site evaluated more than 4,000 colleges and universities nationwide, using federal data along with student and alumni reviews.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, located in Cambridge, ranked first nationally on Niche’s 2027 Best Colleges in America list and No. 1 in Massachusetts. Harvard University ranked second, followed by Williams College, Boston University, and Amherst College.

6. Northeastern University, Boston

7. Boston College,Chestnut Hill

8. Tufts University, Medford

9. Wellesley College, Wellesley

10. University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst

11. Babson College, Wellesley

12. College of the Holy Cross, Worcester

13. Smith College, Northampton

14. Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley

15. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester

Massachusetts colleges also showed up near the top of several specialty rankings such as Top Private Universities, best engineering colleges, and best business colleges.

Niche publishes rankings for categories including value, academics, professors, student life, campuses, majors, public universities and liberal arts colleges, as well as rankings by state.

The full top 10 of the nation’s best colleges includes:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Stanford University, Stanford, California
3. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
4. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
5. Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
6. California Institute of Technology, California
7. Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
8. Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
9. Columbia University, New York
10. Rice University, Texas

See Also: Massachusetts Colleges Make Princeton Review’s 2027 Best List

What Goes Into The Rankings

Niche’s rankings combine federal data with reviews from students and alumni, weighing factors including academics, value, professors, campus life, diversity and safety.

For 2027, Niche also added a measure that compares colleges with similar institutions based on their missions and outcomes. The site also introduced pilot grades for student wellness and “future readiness,” including career services, internships and exposure to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.